Maximum Assassin
by AZNrawk
Summary: Max was taken away from the flock when she was six. She is the best assassin there is, but better. Trained to be the ultimate, trained to the Maximum. A heartless killer, her humanity supressed and broken. Her missions are always successes, and her newest target is her former best friend: Fang. Max will bring down the flock that was once hers, but will she fall as well?
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Max was taken away from the flock when she was six. She is the best assassin there is, but better. She was trained by the same people who gave her wings, and she is a heartless killer. What happens when one of her targets is her old buddy: Fang? Will she be able to pull the trigger, or will her broken friendship heal?**

I stared out at New York City. It was full of people. Targets. My targets' killer would never be found, as I never left any evidence. Ever. I was the best assassin in the world, and nobody knew it, except for the REC. Reconnaissance Espionage Counterintelligence. The REC was the most secretive, most advanced spy agency in the world. _Good thing it's so secretive_, I think, _it would be kind of hard to kill a target with the government trailing you. _

I hop off of the roof, landing on the ground gracefully. How can I jump off a thirty-story building without killing myself? Genetic modifications. That includes the wings, but I don't need to use them to jump off something as low as a skyscraper. Funny, right? I take a hard right, then head into a café. _Muffin Much? _That was a little sad. REC should choose more stylish places for my briefings. _Third table from the right upon entry. The next assignment will be in the menu. _Says the Voice. Yeah, that's right. I have a voice in my head. It tells me where all my targets will be assigned and all that. If you want one, just go to the nearest network of high-level assassins and ask for one. They might give you one, as long as your not killed first.

I sit down at the table, waiting for the waitress to give me the menu. As promised, a thin packet was wedged in the menu. I slid it into my jacket smoothly, making sure no one noticed the movement. Not that they would have noticed anyways. It's amazing how much humans miss. You're probably wondering what I mean by "humans", after all, what am I? I am 98-percent human and 2-percent avian, plus a bunch of other little things REC decided to add. So, not only am I already super strong, fast and with super senses, I have telekinesis, thermal vision, I can breathe underwater and I am extremely flexible. The poor blokes at the Olympics would probably call it quits if they saw what I could do.

"Are you ready to order?" The waitress asked me, her eyes hopeful for a good tip.

"Yeah," I say, "One caramel mocha and three chocolate chip muffins, please."

"Mm-kay," The waitress chirped cheerfully. I'd just ordered twenty dollars' worth of food, which was kind of overpriced for some muffins and a coffee, but whatever.

As I waited for the food, I opened the packet. There was a picture of a guy about my age with black hair that flopped over his eyes, but I could tell his eyes were black. He had light olive skin, and from head to toe, he was dressed in black. Great, now I get to kill some emo kid. This would be interesting. I started reading his profile, my genetically-enhanced brain picking up and remembering every thing from his profile.

_Age: 15_

_Height: 6'4_

_Eye color: Brown 368_

_Weight: 110 pounds_

_Danger: Impending threat_

_Background: Genetic experiment from Itex. 98-percent human, 2-percent avian. Has power to blend in with surroundings, if still. _

_Weakness: "Flock." The flock is composed of four other avian-human expirements: Nudge, Gasman, Angel and Iggy._

I froze. I recognized this target, I realized. Back at the School, before I'd been taking away, I could remember everything, though this had been years ago. I didn't know who Angel or "Gasman" were, though.

_It was another day in the School. The Erasers had taken me out of my cage, and when Fang saw this, he threw himself against the bars, trying to reach me._

"_It's okay," I assured him, "I'm Maximum Ride, right?"_

_He just nodded, and sat back down in his cage._

_Nudge, who was just three, started crying. "Max Wide! Don't weave me!" She cried out in her cute toddler voice._

_Iggy, who stared at the side of my head, trying to pinpoint where I was. He was still getting used to being able to see, but he didn't quite have the hang of his super hearing yet. "Max, just be alright, okay?" He said, his blind eyes finally looking into mine._

_I nod, before remembering, and then I say, "Yeah. I'll be fine." I wondered why they were all so worried, this happened every day. Did they know something I didn't. I shrugged it off, but it was kind of hard to do that with an Eraser pinning down your arms._

That was the last time I ever saw them. After that day, I was trained to become the best, the strongest assassin. I was trained to the maximum. I never broke my promise to Fang, though. I was still Maximum Ride, and everything was still okay wasn't it?

I read the name at the bottom of the page.

_Target: Fang._

**Yup, I am evil! Mwahaha, now you have to suffer through this cliffy! And the reason Max doesn't know Gazzy or Angel is because she was taken from the flock when she was six, and they weren't born at that time.**

**So…**

**Will Max kill Fang?**

**Will she be mad that the flock never tried to find her?**

**Will there be Fax? No Mylan, people.**

**Will… I come up with more questions that start with "will?" nah….**

**Okay, guys. The more reviews, the sooner I update! Mwahaha!**


	2. Chapter 2

**And so, the story shall resume! Chappie 2 for yah guys!**

_Yes, _the Voice whispered in my mind, _you must kill Fang. He is currently flying over this café. He will be here in 2.9 minutes._

_What? _I thought, bewildered. Bewildered enough to use _three _exclamation marks!Dang, was that a lot. I steeled myself, and got ready. _What weapon, Voice?_ I asked. For all of you high-and-mighty people out there who are wondering how you can just kill your former best friend without a second thought, the operative word here is former. He's not my best friend. Anymore, anyways.

_You are not to exterminate your target yet. _The Voice says, giving me a surprise. This was interesting… _You are to earn their trust, become leader of the flock, and lead them to REC. Kill Angel. She is a threat to all of us._

This was going to be interesting. I'd done spy missions before, but this would be especially fun. Deception and trickery. I almost felt bad for what I was going to do. Almost. I smirk to myself, and take a bite out of my muffin. I don't need to worry about getting poisoned or anything, because REC was smart enough to make me immune to every disease, poison, or virus ever known, and any ones that might be invented. Ain't that just handy? Also, don't need to worry about bombs either. I am completely bullet-, stab-, water-, fire-, bomb- proof. It's pretty convenient, really. It's all part of the Maximum Ride package: you're virtually indestructible.

The door opens, and in walks Fang, followed by the Flock. I see Iggy, and he looks older, but still the same boyish face. It was strange. Then, my eyes lock on Nudge. She looks about twelve now, and she has mocha skin with deep brown eyes. Her brown ringlets fall down her shoulders, and it shocks me to see how much she's changed. Next, I spy two blond children. The younger one, looks about six. She must be Angel. _That makes sense_, I think, _she's so innocent looking. _But innocence is exactly what I don't trust. Ironic, isn't it? I move on to the blond boy, Gazzy. He's probably nine or eight, though he looks older. They all do, being super tall for their age.

"Fang, do we have enough money to eat here?" Nudge asks, "Everything's kind of expensive, but it's nice to eat at an actual café instead of McDonald's for once. You know, I always thought cafés were so cute, and they're just so adorable! You know, I hope the food here is good. I am _soo _hungry! I could eat a horse, but that would be so sad to eat a cute little horse, don't you think? Oh, I always wanted a horse, but itwufsdsemes!" She said, muffled by Iggy's hand clamped over her mouth.

"Nudge! I don't need a hearing aid this early, you know?" Iggy said, taking his hand away.

Fang simply watched, a slightly bemused expression on his face. Then he saw me, and his eyebrow twitched a little. I didn't look away immediately, because that's too suspicious. I let my eyes wander away a little, and then returned my attention to my food. I finished off the muffins, while listening to their conversation the entire time.

"ZOMG!" Nudge squealed. "This muffin is so good! I really like the hot chocolate too!"

"ZOMG!" Gazzy mimicked, his voice sounding just like Nudge's. "The hearing aid I now require is awesome!"

Ahh… so they had some powers. _Angel is a telepath, but she will be unable to read your mind. This will raise suspicion. Gazzy, as you noticed, can mimic any sound perfectly, and he has the power to make explosive with his immune system. _The Voice chimed in. _Nudge can attract metal to her at will, and she can hack almost any computer. Fang can fly faster than the rest of the flock, and he can blend into his surroundings._

_Okay, _I think. _What's your point? Is there a power that's actually a threat to me? _For those of you who think I sound cocky and arrogant right now, but it's cause I do have a lot of powers. For starters, besides all the super strength and stuff, I have telekinesis. And I can control elements, very avatar-ish right? _And _I can read what people's deepest fears are, and their deepest desires, and then make it come to life right in front of their eyes. Creepy, huh?

I see the flock start to leave. Quickly, I flag down a waitress, and pay my bill, leaving a hefty tip. Why Not? I'm in a good mood. Us assassins have our good days, you know. I follow them discreetly, but I make sure that they see me.

"Emmech walkure. Zech circe leon." Fang instructs, keeping his voice low. Not that it mattered. I would have heard them from fifty feet away, no joke.

I smirk. He's using the secret language we created back in the school. _Hard left. Up and away at three o'clock, stack formation._ "Piori mar rios. Cammé sten realis." I call out. _Don't leave. That's an order._

Fang pulls himself into a fighting stance. "Who are you? With Itex? And don't order us around." He says, his voice hardening with an edge of steel.

"Aww… aren't you going to let me introduce myself, Fang? After all, we're all friends here, aren't we?" I say, pouting.

"Angel?" Fang asks.

Angel stares at me, here eyes unfocused as they try to search through my mind. _Not happening, kid. You don't want to see what's in my head, and I don't want to scar you for life._ Angel frowned, getting my message.

"I-I can't get a read on her," she said, suspicion in her eyes.

Fang keeps his fighting stance. "Who are you? What do you want from us?"

I smile. "Simple, Fang. I'm Maximum Ride."

**Ohh! Another cliffy! I just love torturing you guys… mwahahahahaahahahaha! I really am evil, aren't I? To make it up to you, you guys will get fax later on, but with a twist. NO FRICKIN DYLAN in this story, because I hate his guts. A lot. And here are the questions….**

**How should Angel die? Will she be killed by Max? (yes, she is going to die. Cause she's evil.)**

**That's my only question. So… let's wait for the next cliffy to come, shall we?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Back! You can finally keep reading! Mwahaha. Fang POV coming up in this chappie, so brace yourselves! Sorry, the chappies are kinda short, but I'll try to come up with a long chappie next time!**

Fang's eyes shone with disbelief. _Finally, some emotion._ "How do we know you're not lying?" He asked, his voice, slightly strained.

"The day I was taken from you, when we were six-ish, I promised you I would be okay because I was Maximum Ride. You were throwing yourself against the cage, trying to break free. Nudge said 'Max Wide! Don't weave me'. I told Iggy 'Yeah. I'll be fine.' Do you believe me now?" I ask, trying to look as Maximum Ride as I could… if that makes sense. Which it doesn't.

"How do I know you're not lying?" Fang asked, suspicious.

"How do I know you're Fang?" I retorted.

_I can't let the younger ones be hurt. If this is Max… what did they do to her? _I hear his thoughts, and for a second, I feel a twinge. This surprises me, cause the only emotion I really feel is sarcasm. But for a single second, I feel sad that Fang doesn't trust me. His former best friend. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I can read minds, and control them. Oops.

"Fine. If you don't trust me, let the others go up and away, I won't follow them, and you can interrogate me all you like," I say, looking him straight in the eye.

He looks at me, thinking it over in his head. Then he nods, without my influence, just so you know. "Up and away guys. Go to wherever, I'll come later."

The flock immediately jump up in the air, one after another. How slow they fly amazes me. They're probably going eighty miles per hour, but I always reach over two hundred. Just saying, er, bragging, I suppose.

"And then there were two," I mutter.

_Here we go, _I think.

**Fang POV**

I couldn't believe it. This was Max? I had thought she had been dead or worse all these years, and she was standing here right before me. Even more, it shocked me how she looked. She was dressed in a red tank top, ripped black skinny jeans, and a black leather jacket. Max's brown eyes looked at me, her long dirty blond hair rippling in the wind. She was… she was beautiful. It was strange, because I always thought of Max as a warrior, a fighter. It was strange, seeing how much she had changed, but it _had_ been nine years.

I couldn't trust her, though. Not yet. "How do I know you're not an assassin sent to kill us or something?" I say, my eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Wouldn't I have done that by now?" Max asked, rolling her eyes.

"That's what they always say. You know, before they earn our trust then stab us in the back," I say, still unconvinced.

Max raised an eyebrow. "You're smart. But it's the same thing for me. I don't know if you're really Fang, either. So why should _I _trust you?"

"Good point. But I don't know what the white coats did to you, or if you're on our side," I really hope this is Max. Really. Still, it never hurts to be paranoid when you're a birdkid constantly on the run from the whitecoats.

"Well, they tricked me out with a bunch of powers. Like, I can jump off a fifty story building and be perfectly be fine. I'm also very flexible," She says, and does a backflip. "Uh, I'm bomb-, stab-, fire-, water-proof. I also have telekinesis." Sticking out her hand, she focuses on a nearby trash can and flings it into the air before putting it down. "I can control the elements. Like the Avatar." She adds, before sticking out her palm. In her palm, a little ball of flame bursts up. Little orbs of water revolve around the flame, and small rocks spin around. The wind picks up, and I'm sure Max is causing it. "_And_ I'm really strong and fast." I open my mouth to tell her the flock is like that too, then she says, "Even more than you guys. By a lot. Seriously," she finishes.

"Okay, anything else?" I ask, wondering how many powers she can possibly have.

"Well, I-" She starts.

"Never mind. Welcome to the flock," I say, finally convinced.

"Okay. You're going to have to introduce me to, uh, what was her name? Angela? Annie? And that other blond kid," Max says, her eyes a little sad.

"Why do you look so sad?" I blurt out, then wished I hadn't. I don't usually talk this much. What was wrong with me? Was getting the silent guy to talk one of Max's many powers?

"Huh? Well, you know. Whatstheirnames are in the flock, right?" Max says, not meeting my eyes. "I never got to know them, and they were in my flock."

"Oh," I'm not sure how I liked the way Max called the flock hers, but she _was_ the leader before she was taken away. "C'mon. I'll introduce you."

**Max POV**

_This is going to be easy, _I think. It didn't take long to earn Fang's trust, and I knew that the rest of the flock would trust me too.

Brace yourselves, "flock." You're leader is coming home.

**Yeah, buddy! So… **

**REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! The more reviews, the faster I update. If I don't get so many… then yeah. I'll be mean and won't update for a while. So.. REVIEW!**

**And please give me ideas for how Angel dies… I have no idea how she's going to die. Stop complaining, she's dying because as you already know, she is (censored) evil, and I hate her a lot. If only she was still all innocent and sweet… but she's not. **

**Also, how about a big action/fight thingy coming up in a few chappies, huh?**

**There WILL be fax, guys, but with a BIG twist. So… what do you guys think the twist should be? Hmm… I MIGHT just take one of your suggestions, if it's good.**

**Thanks, and I'll try to update soon, but you must review! Sorry, but I can't update everyday because: **

**I'm lazy**

**I is evil**

**I don't write fast enough to do that**

**I don't want to**

**I might not be on the internet everyday**

**I like starting sentences with "I"**


	4. Chapter 4

**Shout out to iLoOoVeOrAnGe, who really likes oranges and weird capitalization. Anyways, she/he has a fic on fictionpress called "What Happens Now?" It's pretty good, check it out.**

**Okay, guys, Chapter 4!**

**AGHHH! I cannot wait until Nevermore comes out… I'm still bummed that James Patterson moved the release date from February to August! Seriously, bro, make up your mind! At least the movie is coming out… hopefully?**

**Anyways, here's the chappie for you, so you guys can stop tormenting yourselves. Let's haf some action in this chappie, yah? Or should we haf the all-eemportant Fax? (mockery of Ter Borcht)**

**Max POV**

"Fang, is that really Max? I can't really remember her, but I know she was, like, really brave and all that. Wasn't she taken by the whitecoats? I wonder what they did to her…" Nudge said, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"Yeah, I mean, I'm glad to have Max back and all, but what did the School do to you?" Iggy inquired, his blind eyes shifting to meet mine.

Should I answer them honestly? Of course not. But every lie has a ring of truth in it, so I'll just twist what happened, and leave out the fact I was sent to them to lure them to the REC. I keep my eyes down at the fire we've lit up for camp. Camping in the woods, how classic. Not meeting any of their eyes, I begin: "Well, the School took me to the REC. Reconnaissance Espionage Counterintelligence. It's the best, most advanced spy-assassin agency in the world. Even better than the School," I add, for emphasis. My voice shakes a little, like I was scared of what had happened to me in there. I do say, I give an Oscar-worthy performance. "They did tests and stuff on me, like at the School, but they also trained me. They trained me… they trained me to be an assassin. They gave me all these powers and stuff…" I trailed off.

"What powers?" Nudge asked. She opened her mouth to start blabbering again, but I interrupted her.

"A lot. I can control elements, survive huge impacts, no poisons work on me, I'm water-, fire-, bomb-, bullet-, stab-proof. Well, kind of stab-proof. It depends on the blade," I say. What? I had to let them think I have _some _weakness. It lets them trust your lie better. "I have telekinesis. And… oh yeah, I'm really fast and strong." Seeing the objections on they're faces, I quickly add: "Stronger than you guys, believe it or not."

"We're pretty strong, you know," Iggy said, disbelief in his voice. "And how can you have all these powers? It's like your indestructible or something."

"Yeah, I know you're strong," I say, placating him, "But I do have all these powers, and one of them is being super-human/birdly strong."

"I don't trust her," Angel said. "She's too powerful. And I can't read her mind, either."

Of course someone wasn't going to trust me. As great an actor as I was, there was _always _a doubter. In this case, Angel was right, of course, but I was going to convince I was trustable. "Well, Angel, I am powerful, but you are, too. I can't read you're mind, either, so what's wrong with that?" I actually could read her mind, but I wasn't going to tell her that.

Angel just set her jaw stubbornly. "Look, guys. As leader of the flock, I don't think we should let Max join so easily. She could be a spy. She was trained to be an assassin!"

_I can't let her steal my leadership from me, _Angel was thinking. Wow, evil little birdkid, huh? Like a six-year-old Hitler, just not interested in killing innocent Jews. "Look, Angel," I begin, in my super authoritative voice, "I'm not here to be leader, not unless you guys want me to. And don't let me join so easily? I'm already part of the flock. I was here before you were even born, and I've been there from the beginning of the flock."

"No, you haven't. You left, remember? You're not part of the flock anymore, and we don't want you back!" Angel says, anger bubbling up in her eyes.

Wow. This kid really _was _evil, wasn't she? I raise an eyebrow slightly, then shift my gaze to Fang. He hasn't said anything so far. "I left? I _left?_ I was taken away by the whitecoats, kid. And who are you to speak for the flock? _They_ can tell me what they think, and the flock doesn't need you to talk for them!"

Fang spoke. "Angel, Max stays," Seeing Angel's contradiction expression, he added: "That's final. You can't change my mind on this one."

Finally, he talks! Seriously, I was starting to think he didn't know how. Then I saw Angel's expression, and I knew what she was about to do. "Yes, I can, Fang," Angel said, a too-innocent expression on her face. "You guys are all going to listen to me, aren't you? We don't like Max because she's a spy, so we're not letting her in the flock, right?" She said, still using that creepy, sweet voice.

She was trying to control their minds. "Trying" being the operative word here. It probably would've worked, but I can control minds, too, and also stop mind control. The flock started nodding, until I said: "Angel, quit it. You can't influence them with me around." Immediately, the flock snapped out of it. "See, Angel? You're not the only one around here with some power. Don't play a game if you don't know the rules," I add, with a smirk.

"She's lying!" Angel was practically screaming now. Touchy much? "She didn't say she could read and control minds!"

"You expect me to remember all of my powers?" I ask, sounding incredulous. I actually have an enhanced eidetic memory, which means I can remember everything that ever happened to me. "Seriously, I'll need to keep a list of my powers handy. You haven't been totally honest, either. You kept the fact that you can change you're appearance, and you haven't told everyone you can breathe underwater."

"We-well, I-i…" Angel stuttered, trying to find an excuse.

"Yeah, Angel. You haven't been totally honest, either," I smirk. This is just too easy. Angel was supposed to be a threat, not someone so easy to manipulate. Oh well.

The flock just stares in shock, at me, then Angel. "You lied? But, Angel! We're supposed to trust each other! You could have told us!" Gazzy cried out, shocked that his sister could be so evil. Big surprise, eh?

Then, guess what happens? Angel lunges at me with a knife. Typical.

**Cliffy, cliffy, cliffy. You probably hate me now… but, whatever. Oh, yeah, and to make you hate me more, I won't be updating as much because I'm writing a fiction on , so it might be like, five days before I update.**

**MWAHAHAHA!**

**Review, review, review, it might make me write the next chapter faster… maybe. I want AT LEAST 10 reviews, people. If you don't review that much, I'll make you suffer by not updating for a week or something… well, I never said I wasn't evil.**

**MAJOR twist coming up, and possible FAX next chapter**


	5. Chapter 5

**I figured I should update now, because you guys probably want to hunt me down and kill me now… so here.**

**Max POV**

The knife simply bounced off my skin and shattered. Angel screamed, and lunged at me again. Suddenly, a huge Eraser intercepted her, knocking her down. Of course, this all happened in slow motion for me because I can register things in my genetically modified brain extremely fast.

"Angel!" Gazzy shouted, and ran at the Eraser, but he was knocked down as more Erasers rushed out of the bushes.

I'd known they were there, of course. Just another part of the plan for the Flock to trust me more. I tackled the Eraser holding Angel, throwing him off her. He flew back, knocking down more Erasers behind him before hitting a tree and going straight through it. Okay, so I probably could have held a little more, but I honestly hadn't used much of my strength.

"Fang!" I heard Nudge scream, and my head whipped back. Then I saw what Nudge was screaming about. Fang was pinned down in a horde of Erasers, protecting Nudge. Blood streamed down his forehead, and he was barely holding out against the Erasers.

I jumped fifteen feet into the air-yes, _without_ wings- spinning and doing a bunch of other fancy stuff, right into the mob of erasers. Keeping my perfect fighting stance, I cleared all the Erasers in a few seconds. I bet Chuck Norris couldn't do that. Actually, I knew he couldn't. Once, in the REC, they'd brought him in to fight me. He was down in under a second.

I kicked and punched, knocking down more Erasers. They're really not smart, and they've got nothing but wild punches and kicks. I really didn't understand why the REC used them so much. After a minute, the fight was over. There were piles of Erasers at my feet, and the remaining Erasers had scattered. Aww… that was too bad. I didn't even get to use my powers on them.

"Max? What the hell was that?" I heard Fang demanding. Oops. Maybe I should have held back a little….

**Fang POV**

I couldn't believe what I'd just seen. The flock and I were all extremely strong, and we were all excellent fighters, but Max… it was almost scary what a good fighter she was. I could tell she was extremely well trained, and she hadn't been lying when she said she was strong. She'd hurled an Eraser into a tree so hard, he'd broken the tree. And I knew she was holding back, by the way she was fighting. She probably could have taken down all the Erasers in a few seconds, but still…

"Max? What the hell was that?" I asked, in awe and shock. It was a good thing she was such a good fighter, but what if she turned on us? We wouldn't stand a chance…

Max looked slightly surprised, but she composed herself. "You're bleeding, and the rest of the flock is hurt. Let's fix that first," she said, concern in her voice.

I'd tried to put it off, but my head was really starting to bother me. "Yeah," I agreed reluctantly. I got the first aid kit out of my back pack and began to stick Band-Aid on everyone. When I got to Max, she just shook her head.

"Not a scratch," She replied, a little smug.

I began to treat myself, and I realized the blood was getting pretty heavy. It had already soaked through the gauze I'd put on my forehead to stop the bleeding. I frowned. That wasn't good.

As if reading my thoughts, which she probably did, Max looked up. "That looks pretty bad. Do you need some help?" She asked, her eyes focusing at the blood, which had started dripping back on my forehead, even with the bandage.

I shook my head, but instantly regretted it. My head spun, and my vision turned blurry. I grabbed a tree branch to steady myself, stumbling.

"Woah, you okay, Fang?" I heard Gazzy ask me through the ringing in my ears.

"Yeah, I-I'll be fine," I managed through the intense pain in my head.

My knees couldn't support me anymore. I sank to the floor, my knees collapsing underneath me. My head was exploding in pain, and I saw bright bursts of light. The world faded, not into blackness, but into red, and I drifted out of consciousness.

"Fang! Fang! Wake up!" I faintly heard Nudge crying, sobs muffling her words. "Wake up! Please!"

"Fang? Fang!" Gazzy was yelling, his voice high.

"This is isn't good…" Iggy was murmuring.

Faintly, so quiet I wasn't sure I'd heard her correctly, I heard Max whisper, "Oh, Fang. I'm sorry. Sorry…"

**Max POV**

_Oh, Fang. Why'd you have to go and faint? _I thought. I wasn't worried, I knew he would be fine. One of my powers was I could heal any wound, and I'd done that to Fang. He was sleeping now, and he probably would wake up in a few hours.

The flock, so far, hadn't noticed Angel was gone. They would soon, though.

The flock murmurs softly to each other, not yet trusting me enough to include me in the conversation. It didn't matter, though. I could hear every word they said.

"Iggy… Will Fang be okay?" Nudge asked, concerned, but not enough to keep from talking on and on. "I mean, like, what if he died? Then Max could lead the flock, like old days! Ooh, I wonder how that would be like! Having a girl leader…" Nudge was spouting nonsense, as usual.

"Fang's fine, Nudge. Max's healing-thing she did on him will heal him," Iggy said, sighing.

I heard Gazzy fart, and then Nudge screamed: "ZOMG! Gazzy, you're disgusting! This is gross!"

"Sorry! A man's got to do what a man's got to do," Gazzy said, laughing.

"Does that mean scaring away any possible girlfriend?" Nudge retorted, "Not that you'd have one anyways."

"Hey!" Gazzy shouted.

I heard scuffling, which I figured was Gazzy chasing Nudge around.

Then, I saw Fang stir. He sat up, wincing, and I went to go help him. "Hey, sleepyhead. Sleeping Emo-ness finally awake?" I ask. I realized I felt a little relieved because he was now awake. Why? I knew he'd be fine. Shrugging off the feeling, I helped Fang get to his feet.

Fang mumbled about the emo thing, before asking: "Why did you say sorry?" That really caught me by surprise. He'd heard me? He'd been out cold! How could he have heard me?

"You must have been hearing things," I lie, "Probably loss of blood." I didn't even know why I'd said sorry. Had I, Maximum Ride, heartless assassin, felt guilty? No, I don't feel emotions like that. I don't.

Before I could say anything else, Fang asked yet another question: "Where's Angel?" Oh, crap.

**HEHEHEHE! CLIFFY CLIFFY CLIFFY! LALALALALALALALALALA. I am on an evil streak, not updating for a while, ending with a cliffy… MWAHAHAHA. This is also why you do not give me Red Bull or anything with caffeine in it… **

**Anyways, where's Angel? It's sorta obvious….**

**What are the people gonna do with Angel?**

**Should Fax be in the next chapter? Or should I torture you guys more?**

**I want fifteen reviews, people! Otherwise I won't update for two weeks, and by then I will be one vacation, probably not being able to update for a month… so review or no update.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Mwahaha. I decided to torture you guys. It was VERY fun. Forcing you guys to beg for an update… MWAHAHAHAHA! Yeah… not a good idea if I was dictator of… anything. Lol… But as promised, mild Faximum in this chappie… AND IT'S NOT FAX, IT'S FAXIMUM. Seriously, Fax just sounds stupid. Like, a fax machine… Who even uses those things anymore? **

**Faximum forever! Less than 1. That's a triangle. 1**

**Max POV**

The flock was in full-panic mode, shouting for Angel and searching for her. Nudge was running around, shouting: "Angel! Oh my gosh, what happened to her? Maybe she just went to the grocery store? Once, in a movie, I saw that a bunch of people freaked out over this missing girl, when it turns out she was at a mini-mart the entire time! Do you think that's where Angel is? Maybe we should try the mini-mart... or maybe a gas station! Yeah, Angel could be at a gas station…" Nudge just doesn't know how to shut up does she?

I searched, too, but it was hopeless. Angel was at the REC right now, getting… fixed. By the time the flock found her, it would be too late. Too late to save anyone. The next time the flock saw Angel would be when I brought them to the REC. Then the plan would fall into place, and my mission would be over.

I sensed Fang behind me. I turned around, but he'd turned invisible. "Fang, I know your there. Stop creeping!" I hiss at him.

He turns visible. "How'd you know I was here?" He said, holding his hands up in a placating gesture.

"I'm magic," I reply, rolling my eyes. "C'mon. Let's search for her this way. That's where most of the Erasers went, anyways." I nod toward a thicker part of the forest.

Fang stumbles forward, and I catch him. "Sorry," he mutters, and disentangles himself from me. "Guess I'm not fully healed yet…"

"It's okay," I say, looping his arm around my shoulders and holding him up. Not romantically! "Anyways, we should go this way. You'll be okay?" I ask, starting to haul him towards the forest.

"Yeah. I'll be fine," Fang assures me, and we head toward the forest.

**Fang POV**

It's a bit embarrassing having to walk with a girl supporting you. We walk deeper into the forest, shouting for Angel, but I know it's probably hopeless. If the Erasers had gotten her, they'd most likely gotten away in a helicopter or something.

"She's not here," Max said, frowning. "If she was anywhere near twenty miles of here, I would be able to sense her, and read her thoughts."

That reminds me, that Max can read my mind. Crap. "Oh," I say, "Guess we should stop looking, then, and go to rescue her."

Max looks at me. "Yeah, I can read you're mind. Shouldn't you be used to it, 'cause of Angel?" She says, standing in front of me.

I would blush, but we all know I'm Mr. Rock. Instead, I shrug and say, "It's nothing." Okay, that was annoying… Wait, I shouldn't think that around her. Have I said crap already?

Max rolls her eyes. "Yeah, Mr. Pebble. Should I call you that from now on? Or should I call you Mr. Boulder?" She asks, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Mr. Pebble does have a certain ring to it…"

Well, I certainly didn't miss Max's sarcasm… Rolling my eyes, I say, "Funny." I sit down on the dirt floor and lean my back against the rough bark of the tree. Max comes and sits down next to me, our shoulders touching.

"So, Mr. Pebble, what's the plan for Angel's rescue?" Max asks, cocking her head. "The classic bust-in, find Angel, and escape? Or should it be the cliché espionage and cool spy gadgets?"

"I was thinking James Bond, or maybe Indiana Jones?" I say, suddenly more talkative than usual. What happened to Mr. Rock being silent, brooding, and mysterious, hmm? I had just said a whole nine words! This was strange… was one of Max's endless powers getting me to talk? I hope not.

"So, is Fangles saying his first sentence?" Max taunts, mocking me in a babyish voice. She pretends to suck on her thumb, widening her eyes. "I should take a video! Fangles' first sentence, at age fifteen! So impressive!"

"My first sentence was 'Why are there wings on my back?' I did talk, once upon a time in the magical land of Itex, you know?" I say, a full twenty-six words… I had to get all this talkativeness under control. Max fell silent, thinking about the School.

"You know, sometimes, I wish I wasn't taken away from you and the flock. Even though I was trained-" She broke off, looking away. There was something in Max's eyes that I couldn't recognize. Sadness? Anger? I realize it's guilt. Why was Max feeling guilty?

Hesitantly, I reach out and touch Max's face. I cup her cheeks in my hands, feeling her skin, soft as satin. She looked up at me, her eyes wide with surprise. I leaned toward her, not sure what I was going to do–kiss her?- until she pulled away.

"I-I'm not good at this stuff…" Max stuttered, her eyes wide and confused. "I should probably go…" She turned, about to go, until I caught her wrist and pulled her against me.

Max was tall, but I was even taller, so her head only came up to my shoulder. She rested her head on my chest, and I could feel her breathing. I buried my face in her hair, wrapping my arms around her waist. I don't know how we stayed like that, just hugging, until Max whispered, "We should go back. It's getting dark."

Disentangling myself from Max, I nodded. Judging from the sky, we'd probably been gone for an hour or so, though it felt like a lot longer. "Yeah. The flock probably figured out Angel isn't around here anymore." Leaning down, I gave Max a quick peck on the cheek.

Max blushed, then she took my hand and started walking back to the flock. A few minutes before we reached the clearing where we were camped out in, we split up, headed different ways, so it seemed that we were coming from different directions. I headed out first, then Max came ten minutes later.

"ZOMG! What are they doing to Angel?" Nudge was talking, as usual, but this time it just made everyone feel worse. "I mean, I hope they didn't take her to the School! Like, the School is-" She trailed off, seeing everyone's misery.

"Nudge, SHUT up! No one cares what you have to say! My sister's missing and you're just standing around talking about stuff that just makes everyone feel worse! SHUT UP!" Gazzy shouted at Nudge, fury making his face red. Nudge flinched, tears filling her eyes. "Well, Angel _is _missing…" Gazzy grumbled, ashamed.

"Okay, guys. Let's go try to find Angel. I don't think she's at the School, though. I think she went to the REC," Max said, "At the REC, when I escaped, I saw papers saying how you guys were going to be captured, then brought there. Angel was marked as a 'level-3 important target', which is pretty high."

"Well, the REC isn't going to have Angel any longer!" Gazzy said, his eyes full of determination. "If we can break into the School, we can break into the REC."

Of course, there's always bad news, and this time it's coming from Max: "The School is easy. The REC is not. It's the top spy, reconnaissance, war, weaponry, -and a whole bunch of other things- center. Likely, you can't go within a five-mile radius of the headquarters without getting nuked. And it's off the map, probably in a secluded area in, like, Siberia or something."

"You don't know where it is?" Gazzy asked. "You're from the REC, right? You should know!"

"Well, there are several major headquarters around the world. The one I came from was in… um… Oh, yeah! Napal, I think. Not really sure," Max said, "I think there's one in… Ethiopia? I don't know, but Angel could be at any one of those, and there are other minor branches around the world, too. This isn't just like the School, you know. It's worse."

We stared in open shock. Worse than the School? What had Max seen there? I didn't really want to know.

"And," Max said, "If we don't find Angel fast enough, they'll break her mind, to get her to be obedient. She'll be lost forever."

The countdown had started.

**Ooh! Dropped the whole "if we don't make it, Angel's completely, 100% screwed" bomb! And she WILL die, whenever the flock gets to the REC…**

**Will Max betray the flock at the REC HQ?**

**What will Angel say to Max as she dies?**

**Where is the REC going to be?**

**When will Max reveal the twist in Faximum?**

**Also, I'm going to China for a month, so I don't know if I can update. I will try, but a LOT of websites are blocked in China, so I might not be able to update. Please don't kill me, kill the internet blocks in China!**

**Until I can update again-**

**Faximum Forever**


	7. Chapter 7

**VERY IMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE! (don't worry, this isn't one of those chappies that is ONLY and author's note… some of the story is in this update, so don't get your panties in a twist.)**

**I know, I know. You probably hate me for not posting so long. But, after coming back from vacation, there's jet lag, unpacking, restocking the fridge, and getting ready for school again. That, and the fact that I have writer's block, and I'm working on a new fanfic idea… so updating might be a little slow, as I work past the writer's block. Plus, I've been raging on how Nevermore sorta sucked, (seriously, NOT AS GOOD AS I HOPED)**

**Also, I've noticed Max is becoming a Mary Sue (thank you, annikaandaj) so I decided to give Max some sort of flaw, something that makes her vulnerable at times.**

**So, let the chappie begin, eh?**

**Max POV**

The flock was worried about Angel. Very, very worried. Which meant listening to Nudge ramble on and on and on… Seriously, that girl needs to sew her mouth shut. We were flying above, checking the ground for any trails or tracks that Angel might have been on.

"Hey, what if Angel uses her mind powers to, like, control the scientists, and then she, like, busts out and is actually on her way to Iceland, while we fly to the other half of the world? OMG, this would be like one of those action movies with Angelina Jolie in them! And then, like, Angel meets Taylor Lautner in Iceland, and-" Nudge stops, interrupted by me snapping.

"Nudge, why the hell would Angel go to Iceland, and why would Taylor Lautner be there?" I growl, irritation creeping its way into my voice. "Besides, why would this have anything to do with cliché, badly-written movies from Hollywood producers who obviously don't know what the word 'over-used means!"

Nudge pouts, sticking her bottom lip out. Rolling my eyes, I say, "Let's head to…" Suddenly, a sharp, bursting pain filled my head. My vision turned red, and there was a steady droning in my ears. I clutched at my head with my hands. The pain was getting more and more intense, and the only sensation I had was falling. Wait, I was in mid-air… and my wings weren't flapping. I couldn't flap, I couldn't even get my wings to move!

_Dammit… DAMMIT... DAMMITDAMMITDAMMIT! _Was all I could think as I plummeted down… and down. Sure, I could survive big falls, but there was a limit to that. I had to land on my feet, tuck and roll, to keep myself from imploding on impact. There was no way I could do that while I was curled up in pain, barely able to keep myself from screaming. I almost wish I would die, the pain was so intense.

I'd never been afraid of heights before. Would this be how I died? Falling…

**Fang POV**

"Max!" Nudge shouted. I turned around, to see Max wings folding up and her hands clutching at her head. A bloodcurdling scream, full of agony and desperation, ripped out of Max's mouth. Then, she began to fall.

For a second, I was stunned. What was happening? Okay, no time to think about that. Max was plummeting down, possibly to her death. I dove after her, angling my wings downward, trying to go as fast as possible. Eventually, I caught up to her, tackling her waist. I shifted her body so I was kind of cradling her head.

"What happened? Is Max okay?" I heard Iggy ask, confused.

"I don't know. She seems to be in a lot of pain…" I trailed off. Max was tense, her hands pressed against her temples, and her face was scrunched up in pain. "Let's land. Set up camp."

I watched Max's face in the light from the fire. The light danced around her face, throwing odd shadows on her face, but one thing was clear: she was in pain. Max was curled up in the fetal position, her hands still pressed to her forehead. A single tear ran down her face. Maximum Ride? Crying? Damn. She must be in a crapload of pain to cry. The Max I knew didn't cry with broken ribs. She didn't cry when her shoulder was dislocated. She didn't cry when tubes where shoved down her throat. Max just… didn't cry.

After what seemed like hours, Max slowly relaxed. "How long was I out?" Max whispered.

"Few hours," I replied, glad she was finally okay. "What was that?"

"The epitome of migraines," Max muttered. Well, if she's feeling good enough to be sarcastic, she's probably fine.

"You okay?" I asked. Max just nodded, staring off into the dark. I had a sudden urge to put my arm around her, seeing the slight sadness in her eyes, but I just shrugged it off.

"I'll take first watch," Max said. Seeing my expression, which was basically my normal expression, she quickly added, "I couldn't sleep anyways."

"Fine," I muttered, "Be that way."

**Max POV**

I sighed. Another brain explosion. It was the REC's way of controlling me. Anytime they wanted, they could make me go through that pain. It was how they got me to stop rebelling and trying to escape. After all, with all the powers and abilities I had, I could've escaped from the REC, and I was too dangerous if that happened. I could bring them all down, I knew. Except for those stupid brain attacks. The REC could control whenever they happened, as a little reminder of who's allegiance I had.

So, if I ever disobeyed or betrayed the REC, they would give me a brain attack, track me down, and then bring me back for a life of tests, antiseptic and pain. So, I guess the great Maximum Ride had been brought down the day the brain attacks started. I wondered what I would do if the REC didn't have total control over me… I don't know. Maybe… maybe I wouldn't be betraying the flock, and leading them for real. I shrugged the thoughts off. No point in thinking about useless fantasies that were never going to happen. The reality was, I was leading the flock to the REC, and I was going to do it whether I liked it or not…

_Maximum,_ the Voice decided to chime in, _Your destiny is does not lie with the rise of the REC, but the downfall of it. You, Maximum Ride, are to save the world._

Great. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

**Okay, so a bit of fluff, but not bad, no? And plot twist time! Plus, the shocking part that shows how they broke Max… **

**GASP!**

**Okay, people, ten reviews, or no update. AT LEAST TEN reviews, people. Also, I will be putting a poll on which fanfic idea I should do next on my profile, so why don't you go vote on it if you like my awesome writing!**

**Till next time! And yes, I will start updating a little more!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Agh!**

**Summer is almost over for me! Just a little time left before I have to go back to the dreaded place of torture: SCHOOOL! Do you know how hard it is kissing up to the teachers and studying math and reading comprehension and all that stuff for two hours EVERY DAY after school? I'm going to have to study on the WEEKENDS! What has the world come to?**

**Geez… Totally random rant… But anyways, swanfrost15, I'm giving you a little shout-out. (and not necessarily the good type of shout-out) On your last review, you said that Max's newfound weakness, the brain attacks ain't so impressive? (I love saying ain't… I know it's technically not grammatically correct, but whatever.) Yeah, well, the thing is, they weren't meant to be. However, because the whitecoats/REC control when they happen, so while Max is writhing in pain, the REC could probably manage to track her down. After all, the Voice can see and hear what she sees and hears, no? So while feeling like your brain is splitting open, wishing to die, the whitecoats can just swoop on by and BOOM! Wake up with a tube shoved down your throat, forced to do cruel, painful tests. I know this Max is much stronger and everything, but even she has limits. The tests she would have to do would be much worse than ones for others, because she is so much stronger than other subjects, she would still be just as exhausted and tired out. Also, if she tries to break free, just make her have another brain attack, drag her back, and continue the testing. So, it IS a huge weakness. The whitecoats totally have that over Max's head: cooperate, or just be totally in pain and despair for the rest of your life, and not even be able to escape. It's the perfect blackmail, so yes, it IS impressive. MWAHAHA!**

**If you read all of that above this sentence, you do realize you could have skipped it, right? Anyways, ON WITH THE CHAPPIE! **

**Max POV**

_Save the world? What's that supposed to mean? Save the world from what?_ I thought, bewildered._ In case you haven't noticed, I'm kind of on the evil side here! And aren't you supposed to be on the evil side, too, Voice? _

_Maximum. Your destiny is to save the world. Never forget that, Maximum Ride. You have been trained until you are the ultimate, the elite, the _Maximum._ You will save the world. _The Voice decided to chime in, not answering any of my questions.

_What am I saving the world from? Why can't you be a little clearer? _I thought, really pissed.

_Maximum, _the Voice said, _You are to save the world from the darkness that is coming. It will envelop everything, and the flames of humanity will die. The world will become cold, dark, and forever terrorized by storms. You are to save the world from all that._

_What the HELL is that supposed to mean? _I thought, _How am I supposed to save the freaking world if I don't even know what I'm saving it FROM? Stop speaking in riddles, and give me a break._

The Voice didn't respond. Of course. And what was up with that strange whole "world will end in darkness" crap and "the flame of humanity will die" stuff? So ominous… seriously, a simple "the world is going to end in some mysterious, creepy way" is too hard? Why do all apocalyptic warnings have to be so ominous and creepy?

I smashed my fist against a pillar jutting out of the cave wall, angry. A large piece of rock went flying into the air, then plummeted down into the forest. Ouch. Hope I didn't hit an animal with that… Oh well. That had been rather loud, though, so the flock was immediately up and worried.

"What was that?" Iggy asked, his head snapping back and forth, listening for the sound of people approaching.

"Nothing," I lied. "Just kicked a rock. Now go back to sleep." Fang shot me a worried look, but I just waved it off.

_Save the world… _I mused. Yeah, right. I wonder what the Voice meant by that mysterious darkness mumbo jumbo. So gloomy. Why can't the world end in exploding rainbows and fireworks? Much more colorful and cheerful. Or maybe it's just creepy…

Besides, how was I supposed to save the world? I was an assassin, for God's sake! Shaking my head, I quickly woke up Fang and motioned for him to take second shift. _Going flying, _I mouthed, shaking my wings out. Jumping out of the cave, I headed down into the forest, landing in a clearing. Frustrated, I proceeded to take my anger out on a nearby tree, cracking it in half with one kick. I kept punching the tree, splinters flying everywhere. Sighing, I sat down on a rock, trying to calm myself down.

_Calm down, Max,_ I told myself, _Calm down._ I just sat there, breathing in and out, lowering my heart rate. After staring off into space, letting my thoughts just wonder about, a sharp pain shot through my skull. It wasn't a full-on brain attack, but it was still pretty bad. Blurry images and muffled sounds filled my head.

"_I'm sorry, Fang," I said, watching as the Erasers tied up and gagged the flock. "But you never should have trusted me in the first place. I'm an assassin. I was never on your side in the first place." I watched them, my expression cold, though on the inside, I was screaming._

_Fang turned on me, his eyes full of anger and hatred. "I trusted you, Maximum." His voice was so cold, so mechanical, that I flinched. "I thought that Maximum Ride, my best friend had come back. Turns out, Maximum Ride doesn't exist anymore. She died a long time ago, and the REC replaced her with a monster that wore her face."_

_Angel looked at me, her eyes so wise and knowing, they looked thousands of years old. "Max. To save the world, you must…" She faltered, her grip loosening on my hand. "There isn't much time I have left on earth, Max. I will die soon, but you must know…" Angel began fading away._

"_Wait! Angel, what am I supposed to do! Angel? Angel, wait!" I shouted, reaching out to her, stretching my arms out._

_The vision changed again. I saw Angel, dead, her eyes blank and unknowing, laying on the floor, her face peaceful, with a small smile on her face. Next to her, lay Fang, gripping his shredded side. He looked at me, his eyes angry and cold. Nudge was holding her arm, which was twisted at a weird angle. The left side of Iggy's face was burned, and so was his left arm. Gazzy was sobbing, next to Angel. The Flock, in tatters. And all because of me. _My _Flock, broken and destroyed. What had I done? _

_What had I done?_

Now, I saw myself, flying in midair, somehow flying without flapping my wings. I wasn't experiencing what was happening this time, though, instead, I was watching myself from far away.

_I knew what I had to do. To save the world, Maximum Ride couldn't exist. I stretched out my arms, closing my eyes. Then, my body began to burn. Brilliant, white-gold flames radiated from my body, slowly consuming me. Three words rang through the air, coming from me, but not in my voice. It sounded like multiple people were talking at the same time, the words sounding rich and radiant. "I'm sorry, Fang." Then, I disappeared into a wild explosion of blinding light and flame, so vibrant that the night sky lit up. I was gone, all that was left, was a single silver feather, drifting down._

_Maximum Ride was dead._

**Oooooooooooh, cliffy! Hahaha! Very dramatic, no? And to explain the very last vision, it was like this: Max was watching herself, but could hear the thoughts, but not feel anything. Does that make sense? I don't know… **

**Also, these visions might not match EXACTLY with the end, like a few words might be different. Comprende? Okay. Also, when school starts, I will update about once a week. So yeah. **

**Sorry this chapter took so long to put up. I was pretty busy all this week, with open house and a bunch of other things (not joking)**

**Anyways, remember, not updating until I get TEN REVIEWS, people. AT LEAST TEN REVIEWS! Remember, favoriting and following this story helps too.**

**Till Next Time, Whenever the heck that is,**

**-Less than 3, AZNRawk**


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